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History
- Referred to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Companion bill
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Prohibits limitations in health insurance contracts or policies with respect to massage therapy performed by a licensed massage therapist
In Assembly Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Jonathan Bing
Full text
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Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting certain limitations or exclusions regarding massage therapy
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to provide for the coverage of massage therapy services in health insurance policies.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Amends Section 3216 of the Insurance Law to require individual policies for hospital, surgical or medical care to include massage therapy provided by a licensed massage therapist within the lawful scope of practice.
Section 2 amends Subsection (k) of section 3221 of the Insurance Law to require group health insurance policies that provide reimbursement for hospital, surgical or medical care to include coverage for massage therapy services provided by a licensed massage therapist.
Section 3 amends Section 4303 of the Insurance Law to provide coverage for massage therapy services performed by a licensed massage therapist under health service or medical indemnity corporation contracts.
Justification
Presently, various health professionals such as Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Registered Nurses and Physical Therapists are able to perform therapeutic massage when prescribed by a physician, even though their training in most cases does not exceed ten to fifteen hours in this particular field. By the time massage school graduates sit for their state exam, they have already completed between 672 and 1,000 hours of intensive training.
It appears to be in the best interest of the health care consumer, as well as that of the physician who prescribes specific massage treatment plans, to have such treatments performed by the licensed health professional who currently has the highest degree of training and expertise, namely the licensed massage therapist.
As of this date the profession of massage is the only licensed health profession in New York which is not listed with the New York Insurance Law. This legislation would add massage therapy as a regular component of health care policies in the state. It provides a greater range of options for the public and promotes the practice of massage therapy services in New York.
Legislative history
2001-02: S.1252/A.223 2003-04: S.862/A.1482 2005-06: S.2088 Referred to Insurance 2007-08: S.2749/A.8562 Referred to Insurance
Fiscal implication to new york state
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect 90 days after it becomes law and will include policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after that date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.